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Iberi Equites Scutarii (Iberian Medium Cavalry)
These medium cavalry, whilst not the heaviest of units, are nonetheless effective horsemen. An effective combination of endurance and discipline, they are an excellent addition to any army which desires a cavalry wing which can be relied on the drive home an attack and yet have sufficient energy to press home other attacks. Description The, at times, grey grasses of eastern Iberia may not appear as verdant and lush as those of Gaul or Campania, but as the men of Sparte will tell you, the simplest meal may breed the strongest of men. What is true of a meal is true of grass. Beneath the sapphire skies and bronze sun, their green tinted teeth clipping the pasture, roam horses of world renown. And when a land produces such fine steeds, it is expected that the people of the land be masters of the saddle. The men of Iberia are indeed such men. With silvery steel tipped spears couched beneath their arms, and gripping the long shields from whence they take their name, these men are renowned beyond their lands for the skills they bring to the battlefield. A common site in the armies of foreign powers, but still all the more determined to defend their homelands from foreign domination, these horsemen combine endurance, loyalty and discipline to form a corps of warriors which any army would eagerly have guard its flanks. Historically horses appear to have been held in high regard among the Iberian civilization. They were frequently depicted in sculpture, such as the 160 votive offerings in the shape of horses which were recovered from the sanctuary at El Ciggarelego. Other fine examples include the horse sculpture from La Losa and the warrior and his horse from Porcuna. These depictions provide archaeologists with a clear picture of how the Iberians dressed and equipped their horses, and enables accurate reconstructions of Iberian cavalry to be produced. We know that, in contrast to their Keltoi contemporaries, the Iberians do not appear to have employed leather saddles, instead they made use of fabric of some form to cover the horses back, sometimes with stylistic adornments such as bands of fabric or intricate patterns. Likewise, no doubt to emphasise the status of the rider, Iberian horses were often adorned with other decorations, such as a criniere of tassels which covered the horses chest. Excavations have demonstrated that the Iberians made use of two types of bridle bit. The first of these was similar to those used by the Keltoi, being composed of hoops through which to thread the leather or fabric reins. The second type was composed of rods, either in the shape of a bow or what might be termed a lightning bolt. Again there existed hoops through which to thread the reins, but they were much smaller than on the Keltoi type bridle bit. In some reconstructions of Iberian cavalry, the reins are depicted as being attached to the bottom of the rods, meaning that when the rider pulled on the reins he pulled the horses head downward, rather than pulling the horse bit into the mouth of his mount. This approach would probably have been kinder on the horse but it may also have been slightly less effective in control the horse, although, considering the praise which ancient historians gave to Iberian cavalrymen, it appears a lack of control was certainly not a problem. Category:Units Category:Units available only in EB2 Category:Arevaci Category:Karthadastim Category:Lusotannan Category:Romani